In a bid to build human capacity for greater efficiency, Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has urged Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) to always show integrity, professionalism and accountability while discharging their duties in the nation’s maritime domain.
He gave the charge in his goodwill message at the Ethics, Integrity and Leadership training organized for the PSCOs in Lagos on Monday, June 10, 2024 by the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control for West and Central Africa in collaboration with the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN).
Chairman of the Abuja MOU and Minister of Works, Construction and Infrastructure Development, Republic of The Gambia, Ebrimo Sillah; Vice Chairman of the Abuja MOU and Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; Denmark envoy to Nigeria, who was represented by the Danish General Counsel; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MACN, Mrs. Cecilia Muller Torbrand and Secretary-General, Abuja MOU, Captain Sunday Umoren, among others, attended the event.
Mobereola, who commended stakeholders, organizers and participants, revealed that the training, which is being attended by PSCOs from 22 member states of the Abuja MOU, focuses on the importance of ethics, integrity and leadership in the implementation of port state control responsibilities by member states.
His words: “As we are all aware, Port State Control Officers are the first line of defense and the singular most important instrument for enforcing the rules of maritime safety and protecting the lives and well-being of seafarers, ships and the marine environment from the potential effects of unsafe shipping. For this reason, they have a responsibility to discharge their duties with the highest level of transparency and accountability.
“Ethical conduct in Port State Control activities demands that decision making, even under the most challenging circumstances must be fair, just, equitable and strictly in line with established standards. It requires that subjectivity, undue influence, compromise and conflict of interests must be set aside at all times. Similarly, integrity is the cornerstone of trust and requires unshaken honesty and strong moral foundation on the part of the Port State Control officers.
“Leadership for Port State Control officers on the other hand entails setting a commendable example and inspiring others just as it presumes an ability to make on-the-spot decisions in a correct and wholesome manner without the need for micro- management by superior authorities.”
He stressed that the requirements of ethical conduct and integrity remain fundamental to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Codes of Conduct for Port State Control and other international, regional and national bodies such as the Abuja MOU and MMASA.
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Mobereola, who pointed out that the IMO Code of Good Practice, outlined three fundamental principles for Port State Control Officers namely: Integrity, Professionalism and Transparency, adding that in NIMASA, Port State Control Officers are required to comply with the applicable international and domestic rules on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption.
“This is particularly given the stated commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the war against corruption and allied offences. They are also mandated to update the Agency’s core values which have been simplified by the acronym ‘CAPITEL D’ (Commitment, Accountability, Professionalism, Integrity, Teamwork, Excellence and Leadership).
“It is also important to reiterate Nigeria’s long-standing commitment to its international and regional responsibilities, especially given its leadership role in the West and Central African sub-region. This of course includes shipping, maritime and the blue economy where NIMASA spearheads the drive for safety, security and the protection of the marine environment,” he stated.
The NIMASA DG expressed confidence that the training will provide the participants valuable opportunity to build their mental resolve towards carrying out their Port State Control duties under a clean, fair, transparent and equitable environment at all times.
“Within each and every one of us lies a leader and I enjoin you to dig deep within yourselves to bring out the leader in order to provide inspiration to others to perpetuate the best practices as a minimum standard,” he added.
